INSPIRING LEARNING - DETAILED CHECKLIST
Section 2: PLACES: Creating inspiring and accessible learning environments
Have you and your colleagues or partners used the quick checklist for an overview of your organisation?
Now use this detailed checklist to explore your work more deeply. The checklist will also prompt you to provide evidence that supports your claims.
The PLACES key principle has 3 elements and each of these has two sections

Questions to establish the extent to which you are following best practice in this area

Questions to establish whether you have evidence of the outcomes and impact of these processes
We recommend that you focus on this section and work through it as a team in detail, before you move to action planning. Try to be as honest as
possible in your responses.
Please note: the evidence examples were initially developed for the museum, archive and library sectors. Most are however relevant to a wide range of
arts and culture settings.
Section 2 PLACES: Creating inspiring and accessible learning environments
1
2.1 Do you create environments that are conducive to learning?
Yes
Actions
Have
started
No
2.1.1 Do you have a plan to identify and remove obstacles that inhibit people from learning 2 ?
2.1.2 Do you ensure that people have access to knowledge, resources and collections at
times and in ways that suit them?
At times
In ways
2.1.3 Do you make the physical and virtual learning environment welcoming and accessible?
Physical
Virtual
2.1.4 Do you design learning environments and present knowledge, resources and
collections to reflect different learning styles and enable learning and discussion?
Different
learning
styles
Enable
learning and
discussion
1 Including the web and virtual learning environments.
2 This acknowledges: age, social and cultural group, economic status, extent of knowledge, learning styles, any learning difficulties, language, literacy or numeracy,
physical and sensory impairment.. See note 3 below.
Evidence of good practice processes and outcomes
Yes
No
Areas for Improvement
Have you
 Consulted with people who might be excluded to make services more inclusive
 Undertaken physical, sensory and intellectual access audits
 Adapted, or plan to adapt, buildings, facilities and information 3
 Developed contracts and design briefs which refer to inclusive design
 Complied with relevant legislation e.g. DDA, RRA 4
 Flexible charging policies, opening times and access arrangements
 Used feedback to inform the development of the welcome, physical spaces
and support provided
 Signposted and referenced learning materials so that they can be found
easily both online and offline
Cataloguing and digitisation procedures that take account of people’s
access and learning needs?
Do you know whether users
 Are able to access information and learning resources remotely
 Find the learning environment and facilities suitable for their requirements 6
 Are engaged in conversations, interactions, reflection, play etc. as a result of
the variety of spaces, surprise factors, challenging exhibits and multi-sensory
experiences that you create
 Describe their experience as stimulating, enjoyable, surprising, relaxing
or challenging
 Have been recommended by others to visit/will recommend you to others?
Do you know whether your website/virtual learning environment:
 Is accessible via search engines, links and appropriate networks facilitating
its widest possible use
 Is straightforward to navigate
 Maps on-line learning provision
 Provides opportunities for dialogue and feedback
3 These are designed to make them suitable for people's physical and sensory needs and to meet recognised access standards.
4 DDA - Disability Discrimination Act 1995; RRA Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000.
INSPIRING LEARNING - DETAILED CHECKLIST
Section 2 PLACES: Creating inspiring and accessible learning environments
2.2
Do you develop staff to provide support for learners?
Yes
Actions
Real
2.2.1 Are immediate impressions of your organisation, real and virtual, positive and
welcoming?
Virtual
2.2.2 Do staff engaged in outreach activities and public presentations present a
welcoming and positive image of the service as a resource for learning?
2.2.3 Do staff develop their ability to inspire people’s learning and support their
access requirements
Inspire
Support
Support
access
2.2.4
Do staff help people to understand and appreciate the role of arts and cultural
organisations in supporting continuous learning and direct people to other places
where this can happen?
Help to
understand
Direct
people to
other places
Have started
No
Evidence of good practice processes and outcomes
Yes
No
Areas for Improvement
Have you:
 Invited comments/suggestions and you have a complaints
policy of which users are aware
 Achieved appropriate accreditation 5
 Appropriate staff who are easily identifiable, approachable
and helpful
 Staffing levels appropriate to your stated policy?
Have staff received induction and ongoing training to
 Improve the welcome and response 6
 Enable them to understand learners’ needs and different
learning styles
 Develop their role in supporting learning 7
 Ensure that security checks are reassuring and not intimidating?
Do you know whether users:
 Say they feel welcomed and not intimidated
 Say they understand the relevance of museums, archives
and libraries and their role and potential in supporting
learning
 Describe positive support and encouragement from staff,
which deepens their exploration and experience
 Are encouraged to investigate and use other learning
opportunities
 Talk about how staff have supported users
learning, understanding and enjoyment?
5 E.g. VisitBritain Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Service (VAQAS), VisitScotland Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Scheme, Charter Mark, IAG.
6 E.g. customer care, disability awareness, Welcome Host family.
7 This might include: subject/collections knowledge; understanding learning styles; communicating with a broad range of users; running workshops/group sessions;
effective referral; guiding skills; ICT skills; supporting learners’ access and inclusion requirements; legislation and codes of practice; enquiry skills; formal teaching
qualification
Section 2 PLACES: Creating inspiring and accessible learning environments
2.3
Do you promote your organisation as a centre for learning, inspiration and enjoyment?
Yes
Actions
2.3.1
Does your marketing plan embrace learning as a key message?
2.3.2 Are your promotional materials
• Regularly updated?
• Appealing?
• Do they promote pleasure and enjoyment in learning?
• Do they clearly state what people can expect to find?
• Accessible?
2.3.3 Do you ensure your organisation is promoted widely?
2.3.4 Do you promote your organisation as a space and resource for use by communities?
Updated
regularly
Appealing
Promote
pleasure
and
enjoyment
in learning
Clearly state
what people
can expect
Accessible
Have
started
No
Evidence of good practice processes and outcomes
Yes
No
Areas for Improvement
Have you:
 A marketing plan 8 which promotes learning experiences
and opportunities
 strategies for seeking users’ perceptions on your organisation,
its services and facilities 9
 Responded to feedback from evaluation
 Produced attractive and understandable promotional
materials that state clearly what is and is not available
 Described the learning potential of the organisation in
these materials
 Adopted a common access standard to meet the majority
of needs and adapted your materials for particular groups
 Established regular dialogue with relevant stakeholders
and external agencies 10 ?
Do you know whether users:
 Identify your organisation as a learning provider
 Find out about your services from a variety of sources
 Identify your organisation as a place for learning,
enjoyment, stimulation, entertainment and socialising
 Can describe the breadth of facilities and services and
identify specific benefits?
8 This may be part of a larger plan such as the Service Plan, Strategic Plan, Annual Plan or Position Statement.
9 Through user surveys, comments books, questionnaires, etc.
10 Such as Arts Council England, local enterprise companies, local authorities, disability organisations, community groups and grids for learning